Chopsticks and Beyond thank you dinner
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E-mail CRI, November 12, 2013
Like a duck to water
The first challenge was for the contestants to attempt to slice meat off the duck. Wearing a long white hat and blue hygienic gloves the main chef from the hotel gave a demonstration. Gripping the neck of the duck with his left hand he sliced a cleaver -- as if through butter -- through the duck's body, pinching the thin piece of meat with his thumb and placing it on a serving plate. It looked so easy. But it isn't as the contestants found out -- none of whom had cut duck before.
"You have to be careful because it's hot and you have to slice it very thin, which is difficult," said Sopit, her blue gloves trembling. "Beijing duck is very soft when it's done well, so it's difficult to do it!"
"It's more difficult than it seems," says Ana. "Because it has bones inside you have to be very careful not to cut the bone -- which stops you cutting. So you have to know the duck. I don't know where to cut... You see, here, I can't keep going! You have to know where the bones are."
As Elyse was suffering from a cold, she ducked out of this activity, passing responsibility to Amy, who seemed to be in a bit of a flap: "It's not easy at all, but I'm a terrible chef, so maybe it's harder for me than other people," Amy chuckled as she tore another chunk of meat off the bird.
The challenge was like water off a duck's back to our brave contestants as the slightly plump chef took matters into his own blue-gloved hands and the bird was served. Each table was given three pots containing the competing sauces. But which would win?
Ana's was the first I tried. It was sesame-brown, runny and had a few chopped up gherkins floating inside. It was a subtle flavour, but the sesame definitely provided the urge to go for a second helping. Sopit's offering looked like the authentic Chinese sauce: thick, sticky and black. But the taste was far more complex with a clear hint of the Thai lemon grass. Elyse's Mexican mole looked like peanut butter and had a definite sesame flavour -- but then came an unexpected kick of South American spice. It was a tough call.
In respect to the show's format the winner was decided democratically - with Chopsticks and Beyond characteristics: each contestant stood at the front of the room in their chefs outfits as guests approached to place a sticker on the maker of their favourite sauce. All three girls received a lot of votes -- but the winner by a sleeve was Sopit from Thailand.
"I'm so surprised I won! And, have you tried it?" she asked as her Thai hospitality overcame the urge to answer my questions. "I'm so happy they all like my dish and also the other competitors." Unfortunately at the time of speaking she hadn't had a chance to try Ana and Elyse's sauces, "But I think they will be good because both of them are previous winners and they know how to cook well, so I hope I have a chance to try."
And there will be more winners next year as CRI is already planning the second series of Chopsticks and Beyond.
So after all the success, drama and amazing culinary creations over the past six months, it only remains for all of the CRI team to give an amazingly big thank you to all our sponsors that helped us to pick up the bill.
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